er miles three small islands,
and the same number of bad rapids. At the distance of three quarters of
a mile is another rapid of difficult passage: three miles and three
quarters beyond this are the forks of the river, in reaching which we
had two islands and several bayous on different sides to pass. Here we
had come nine miles and a quarter. The river was straighter and more
rapid than yesterday, the labour of the navigation proportionally
increased, and we therefore proceeded very slowly, as the feet of
several of the men were swollen, and all were languid with fatigue. We
arrived at the forks about four o'clock, but unluckily captain Lewis's
note had been left on a green pole which the beaver had cut down and
carried off with the note, an accident which deprived us of all
information as to the character of the two branches of the river.
Observing therefore that the northwest fork was most in our direction,
and contained as much water as the other, we ascended it; we found it
extremely rapid, and its waters were scattered in such a manner, that
for a quarter of a mile we were forced to cut a passage through the
willowbrush that leaned over the little channels and united at the top.
After going up it for a mile we encamped on an island which had been
overflowed, and was still so wet that we were compelled to make beds of
brush to keep ourselves out of the mud. Our provision consisted of two
deer which had been killed in the morning.

Tuesday 6. We proceeded up the northwest fork, which we found still very
rapid, and divided by several islands, while the plains near it were
intersected by bayous. After passing with much difficulty over stones
and rapids, we reached a bluff on the right, at the distance of nine
miles, our general course south 30 degrees west, and halted for
breakfast. Here we were joined by Drewyer, who informed us of the state
of the two rivers and of captain Lewis's note, and we immediately began
to descend the river in order to take the other branch. On going down
one of the canoes upset, and two others filled with water, by which all
the baggage was wet, and several articles irrecoverably lost. As one of
them swung round in a rapid current, Whitehouse was thrown out of her,
and whilst down the canoe passed over him, and had the water been two
inches shallower would have crushed him to pieces; but he escaped with a
severe bruise of his leg. In order to repair these misfortunes we
hastened to the fork